King Fahd of Saudi Arabia dies
01 August, 2005
|
| ISLAMABAD: A file photo of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, the son of the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who was King for more than 20 years, died |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, who moved his country closer to the United States but ruled in name only since suffering a stroke in 1995, has died, the Saudi royal court said. He was 82. He is succeeded by Crown Prince Abdullah.
A medical official at the hospital in Saudi Arabia told the Associated Press late Sunday that the king's health had deteriorated dramatically.
The Saudi monarch had been in and out of the hospital in recent months, most recently suffering from pneumonia-like symptoms. Fahd yielded day-to-day control of the kingdom a decade ago after suffering a stroke, with Crown Prince Abdullah serving as the de facto ruler since then.
He was born in Riyadh in 1923. His father was King Abd-al-Aziz Al Sa'oud, the founder of the kingdom. He has seven brothers from King Abdul Aziz's favorite wife, Hassa bint Ahmadi al-Sudayri, and is therefore referred to as one of the Sudayri seven.
King Al Sa'oud founded the Saudi kingdom in 1932. Oil was discovered a few years later and made both the royal family and the new country extremely wealthy within a short period of time.
After suffering a stroke in 1995, King Fahd's poor health condition has forced him to remain in the backstage of the public life with Crown Prince Abdullah performing most of the head-of-state duties.
King Fahd studied Islamic history, politics and Arabic language in Riyadh at a private school established for members of the royal family. Later he moved to Mecca to study the Islamic religion.
Political life
King Fahd entered the political life when he was in his early twenties, serving under King Faisal, his brother, who was foreign minister at the time. Both attended the signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945.
At the age of thirty, he became an education minister and held the post for seven years. In 1962, he took the interior portfolio.
Later, he became the first deputy prime minister. When Khaled became king in 1975, Fahd was named as crown prince.
Foreign policy
King Fahd focused on improving regional and international relations more than his predecessors.
He said in his investiture speech; "We are active, fellow countrymen, in the wider international sphere within the framework of the United Nations, its agencies and its committees,"
"We are committed to the charter, we reinforce its endeavors...Our acts have reflected, and will continue to reflect, our sense of belonging to the world community."
Regarding regional affairs, he helped in ending the 15-year civil war in Lebanon by facilitating talks among leaders of the warring parties in the Saudi city of Al Taef.
Also, he designed a peace plan for the Middle East which was adopted by the Arab League in 1982.
On the international stage, King Fahd was criticised for the ties he nurtured between the kingdom and the United States, allowing U.S. troops to be stationed in the kingdom.
In 1985, he made his first official visit to Washington, D.C. During his visit, King Fahd stressed on the need for a renewed, vivid American role in the Middle East peace process.
However, the Saudi-American ties deteriorated after the September 2001 attacks on the United States.
Servant of the Two Holy Sites
King Fahd wanted to highlight the kingdom’s unique position of being located on the land where Islam was born. He was given the title of “Servant of the Two Holy Sites”; at Mecca and Madina, in 1986.
But King Fahd has failed to enforce political reforms. He is criticised for giving in to Western pressures and for ignoring the corruption of certain members of the royal family.
Oil prices rose over $61 a barrel
Oil prices rose over $61 a barrel on Monday after the death of the king of the world's largest oil exporter Saudi Arabia. U.S. light, sweet crude was up 50 cents at $61.07 a barrel after hitting a near three-week high of $61.23. The price has risen 40 percent this year and is just over a dollar below the record high of $62.10 hit on July 7. King Fahd died in hospital on Monday and will be succeeded by Crown Prince Abdullah, his half-brother who has been the de-facto ruler of Saudi Arabia since Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995.
Abdullah is expected to keep unchanged Saudi Arabia's long-standing oil policy aimed at ensuring global markets are well supplied, a Saudi source said on Monday. "I am sure nothing will change regarding Saudi Arabia's oil policy," the Saudi source told Reuters. Analysts also saw any changes in Saudi policy as unlikely, and expected the price impact to be minimal. "It's not going to have a great deal of effect because Crown Prince Abdullah has been effectively running the country for several years," said Geoff Pyne, Energy Consultant to Standard Bank.
"It could have a psychological effect on markets. Anything which adds uncertainty to the market could be construed as bullish in the short-term."
End.
|
